Asmuchas 'twixtthecloseofthethirdhour

Anddawnofdayappearethofthatsphere

Whichayeinfashionofachildisplaying,

Somuchitnowappeared, towardsthenight,

Wasofhiscourseremainingtothesun;

Thereitwasevening, and 'twasmidnighthere;

Andtherayssmotethemiddleofourfaces,

Becausebyusthemountwassoencircled,

Thatstraighttowardsthewestwenowweregoing

WhenIperceivedmyforeheadoverpowered

Beneaththesplendourfarmorethanatfirst,

Andstuporweretomethethingsunknown,

Whereattowardsthesummitofmybrow

Iraisedmyhands, andmademyselfthevisor

Whichtheexcessiveglarediminishes.

Aswhenfromoffthewater, oramirror,

Thesunbeamleapsuntotheoppositeside,

Ascendingupwardintheselfsamemeasure

Thatitdescends, anddeviatesasfar

Fromfallingofastoneinlinedirect,

(Asdemonstrateexperimentandart,)

Soitappearedtomethatbyalight

RefractedtherebeforemeIwassmitten;

Onwhichaccountmysightwasswifttoflee.

"Whatisthat, Fathersweet, fromwhichIcannot

Sofullyscreenmysightthatitavailme,"

SaidI, "andseemstowardsustobemoving?"

"Marvelthounot, ifdazzletheeasyet

Thefamilyofheaven," heansweredme;

"Anangel 'tis, whocomestoinviteusupward.

Soonwillitbe, thattobeholdthesethings

Shallnotbegrievous, butdelightfultothee

Asmuchasnaturefashionedtheetofeel."

WhenwehadreachedtheAngelbenedight,

Withjoyfulvoicehesaid: "Hereenterin

Tostairwayfarlesssteepthanaretheothers."

Wemountingwere, alreadythencedeparted,

And "Beatimisericordes" was

Behindussung, "Rejoice, thouthato'ercomest!"

MyMasterandmyself, wetwoalone